True cases of demonic possession? These videos of real-life "Emily Roses" may have you thinking twice about whether or not you believe in exorcisms. (Photo: Youtube Screenshot)

True cases of demonic possession may not be the kind of thing that most voracious and uncompromising fans of science can stomach due to the sheer ludicrousness of the many assumptions that one must take into account before determining whether or not a specific instance of exorcism-- that is to say, the removal of a demon who is possessing or inhabiting a body-- is real. And yet, in light of the stories that have been developing this month concerning a growing interest in people of the cloth like Father Gabriele Amorth who devote their entire life to exorcising demonic possessions, the news-devouring public, regardless of whether or not it ends up believing the stories at the end of the day, can't seem to get enough of the true cases of exorcisms and the people who perform them that end up making it into the news. In the spirit of an exorcism hotline recently being set up in Milan, the much warmer story about a dog named Demon, and the fact that we're as far away from next Christmas as we'll ever be, we're celebrating throwing scientific prudence to the wind, just for a couple of minutes.

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Here are our top three favorite videos of purportedly true cases of demonic possession. These may not make a believer out of you (and full disclosure, we don't believe in demons either), but if movies like "The Exorcist" managed to scare you even a little, then you may want to stick around for the clips we've chosen. And yes, they're NSFW-- when was the last time you ever heard of a demon being presentable for your boss?

1. Demonic Possession or Temper Tantrum?

Regardless of whether or not we believe that this is a true case-- or that there are even true cases of people who need an exorcism in the first place-- it's shocking and disturbing to see a young person writhing around on the floor like this. If you believe in the power of the psychospiritual, the uploader of the video assures you that the girl is receiving help boosting her spiritual immune system, and her distress is infinitely less.

2. National Geographic's Big, Scary Moment

Though our savviest science readers may refute the notion of true cases of demonic possession, what is irrefutable is the number of cultures out there for whom demons and exorcisms hold special heft. Take a look at this video of an exorcism from The Philippines. What makes it so special? It's one of very few in the predominantly Catholic country that isn't performed by a priest, but by a sort of demon hunter.

3. Is Anneliese Michel the "Real-Life Emily Rose?"

Is Annelise Michel the little girl on whose story the movie "The Exorcism of Emily Rose" was based? There's no video for this one, only audio, but we're just happy that we're in a room full of people right now. Even if you don't believe in demons, it's hard not to be scared by hearing the voice of the little girl who is either a better actress than Meryl Streep and Tilda Swinton combined, or really believes herself to be possessed by demonic forces from outside of the realm of what we consider possible.